Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has warned against crypto scams which are falsely using her image, as the nation further increases its efforts to eliminate scam operations.
In a post to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the minister noted ‘if you see posts like these, don’t click the link – they’re scams’. The official included screenshots of reports claiming to be by media outlet news.com.au which had been shared by netizens.
This isn’t the first time influential public figures have been the focus of such attack ads, and the government is reportedly on high alert to identify and pull down the misleading content.
Just last week, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) welcomed the passage of the Scams Prevention Framework Bill by Parliament.
The ACCC labels the new bill ‘world-first legislation’ that ‘enhances protections across the economy’.
The new bill allows the ACCC to ‘closely monitor regulated entities’ compliance with principles to prevent, detect, disrupt, respond to and report scams’. It also empowers the ACC to investigate possible breaches and take enforcement action.
Businesses that fail to meet their obligations under the framework face potential fines of up to AU$50 million ($31.7 million).
The first sectors being examined are banks, digital platforms – including social media, and telecommunications providers.
According to reports, there were nearly 1,900 reports linked to investment-related scams on social media in 2024 in Australia. Losses are estimated to top AU$45.5 million ($28.9 million).
Within her post decrying the recent unauthorized use of her image, Minister Wong noted that ‘our recently legislated Scams Prevention Framework will make Australia the toughest target in the world for scammers’.
